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Transgender Resources

Tulane University is committed to providing equal opportunity regardless of gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, color, creed, national origin, religion, marital status, age, or disability. Through the Office for Gender and Sexual Diversity (OGSD), Tulane facilitates a welcoming space for students who are exploring their gender identity or who identify as transgender, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, non-binary, or gender fluid to connect with social, cultural, spiritual, academic, and health resources. Below you will find an abbreviated list of resources that transgender students may find useful during their time at Tulane. For more details about these and other resources, please stop by or call the Office for Gender and Sexual Diversity.

Welcoming Spaces

Whether on the uptown or downtown campus, you can expect Tulane University to be a welcoming and inclusive environment. Additionally, there are several spaces that specifically serve as a hub for gender and sexual diversity on campus. It is from these spaces that LGBTQ+ students meet, socialize, work, play, study, and rest.

The O is a comfortable lounge space on the garden level of the student center, Lavin-Bernick Center (LBC G04), and is place for students to drop in and relax any time. It is comprised of the Office for Gender and Sexual Diversity (OGSD), the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), and Religious Life. Every Wednesday we have free community lunch at noon! Join us!

The Office for Gender and Sexual Diversity (OGSD) is a safe space for gender variant and transgender students to connect to campus-wide resources and receive support. OGSD offers a peer mentorship program, social and cultural programming, leadership opportunities and retreats, academic and career development in gender and sexuality studies, opportunities for critical dialogue and engagement, and internships. OGSD also sponsors lectures, panels, performances, and workshops to foster open living and learning environments. Located on the garden level of the Lavin-Bernick Center (G04). 504-314-2183 or ogsd@tulane.edu.

The Mosaic Lounge is a designated safe space for LGBTQ+ students; it is located on the ground floor of Warren House, beside SOHO (Weatherhead). Inside the MOSAIC lounge you will find safe sex supplies, Internet access, a TV, DVD player, movies, games, books, information, and much more.

Gender-Inclusive Housing

Gender-Inclusive Housing (GIH) allows undergraduate students of any gender the option of living with other students regardless of their gender. While all housing on campus is expected to be free of bias and discrimination, GIH was designed to be a particularly comfortable home on campus for students who identify as transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, queer, and questioning and their allies (LGBTQ+). Options include both single and double bedrooms. Students may pull in eligible roommate(s), select a single within an apartment/suite, or request to be assigned a roommate. Beginning in February of 2016 students will be able to apply online through the main application process. For more information, please contact Kyle Rice in Housing and Residence Life at 504-865-5724 or krice1@tulane.edu or Office for Gender & Sexual Diversity at 504-314-2183 or ogsd@tulane.edu.

Gender-Neutral Bathrooms and Locker Rooms

In keeping with the University's policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of gender identity, individuals may use facilities that best correspond to their own gender identity. Those who do not identify with the gender binary, (male or female), may determine whichever facility is the most appropriate and safest option for them. No individual will be required to provide documentation of their gender identity in order to have access to any facility that best corresponds to their own gender identity.

In addition, to address access issues, the University is currently and actively working towards having at least one single-occupancy or multiple-occupancy gender-neutral restroom available in every regularly occupied building on campus.

Currently, Tulane University has several gender-neutral restrooms located around campus, and even more single-user restrooms. Click HERE for CAMPUS gender-neutral bathrooms and click HERE for the city of New Orleans gender-neutral bathrooms (also found in the Refuge smartphone app). if you know of a single-user restroom that is not listed here, please email us at ogsd@tulane.edu with the building name and floor.

Reily Student Recreation Center

By the beginning of Fall semester 2017, the Reily Student Recreation Center will have completed renovation and updated their facilities to ensure that transgender and other gender variant individuals have access, feel welcome, and are afforded privacy. For locker rooms, showers, and toilets, you have two choices -- all of which were designed to include the needs of gender variant individuals.

1. If you are comfortable using male or female locker rooms, both the men's and women's locker rooms in the Reily Student Recreation Center have showers with curtains to maintain privacy while changing and showering. If you do not want to shower, but do want privacy while changing, single stall areas are available for changing in privacy.

2. For more privacy, Reily offers single-user "Cabanas" that each include a toilet, shower, and changing area. To store your belongings while using the Cabanas, lockers are available outside of them.

Academics

The Gender and Sexuality Studies (GeSS) Program is the primary hub for teaching and research on gender and sexuality in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and biological sciences at Tulane University. The GeSS Program offers a Major and Minor in addition to a Graduate Certificate. Students may choose from over forty courses taught by faculty from fourteen academic departments. Newcomb Hall B03.

Student Organizations

At Tulane you may join student clubs, a multicultural LGBTQ+ inclusive sorority, and/or a council of student leaders who work with the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and campus administrators. You can connect to these organizations on Facebook, OrgSync or at the Student Activities Expo! Most clubs meet every other week and all welcome new members!

Note: this is just a sample list of organizations. For the most updated information, along with links to their OrgSync and Facebook pages, click HERE to visit the LGBTQ+ Student Organizations page.

Health & Well-Being

SPECTRUM: A Gender Group facilitated by CAPS
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) facilitates a gender group for students who are exploring their gender identity or who identify as gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender, non-binary, transsexual, or gender fluid. These weekly sessions are free and students may drop in and out as their schedules allow throughout the semester. To find out when Spectrum meets each semester, click here or contact CAPS at 504-314-2277.

For individual counseling, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is a supportive, safe space for students of all genders and sexual identities. Whether you are questioning, exploring, or identify as transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, gender fluid, or LGBTQ+, CAPS is dedicated to providing you with high quality, confidential mental health services. Many students at Tulane, at some point during their college experience, feel anxious, depressed, confused, or overwhelmed. Help may come from a variety of people, but in some cases, it is useful to have the guidance of a trained professional. Counseling is a process that can help people identify more effective strategies both to cope with difficult situations and to achieve their goals. While some people who seek counseling have chronic emotional difficulties, most are dealing with ordinary life events and are simply in need of an objective listener -- someone who doesn't judge and who can help them see new alternatives. Individual counseling is a collaborative effort between you and your counselor, who will offer an open, supportive, and confidential environment for you to address the issues that are concerning you. To schedule an appointment, call 504-314-2277 or 504-865-5255 ext. 7. You can also walk into CAPS, which is located in the Science and Engineering Lab, from 8:30-5pm, Mon-Fri. For after hour emergencies, or if you just want someone to talk to 24 yours a day, 7 days a week, call (504) 264-6074.

Primary Care at the Student Health Center
Transgender individuals can expect high quality and culturally competent primary care from Tulane’s Student Health Center. Doctors and nurses undergo training and have experience working with trans-identified patients. The Student Health Center:

ensures that all students are referred to by their preferred name and gender pronouns

gives referrals for personal trainers, psychologists/counselors, and hair removal specialists who have experience with trans* and gender non-conforming patients.

The staff provides non-judgmental care and respect, protecting your rights and privacy in delivering health services. On campus services include hormone therapy plans, STI testing and treatments, prescription refills, and counseling referrals. Clinics are located uptown and downtown and offer specialized services for stress management, substance issues, and transgender health. The Gender and Sexuality Health Clinic is offered one day a week to provide a particularly comfortable space for LGBTQ+ students.
For the entire Student Health network (CAPS, theWELL, and the Student Health Center), our electronic medical record system has a place in your file to note both (1) your birth-assigned sex and (2) gender identity. For billing and reimbursement, it is important to understand that your selection of sex in the medical record needs to agree with the sex the payer (e.g. health insurance) has on file in order to avoid claim rejections.
"We invite you to talk openly and honestly with Campus Health staff. Please let us know your preferred name and pronouns: if we make a mistake please feel free to correct us."

For more information about making an appointment, locations, nurse advice, the pharmacy, etc., go to wavehealth.tulane.edu.

Click HERE for a list of various types of care providers in the New Orleans area that are experienced in providing care to trans individuals.

Preferred Name and Pronoun

At any time of the semester, if you change your name and pronoun, or have already done so, and they do not match official state issued documents that the University uses for its records, Tulane offers an online process for students to indicate a preferred first name that can be used on Splash Cards and faculty rosters. Students can also indicate their pronoun to the Registrar via Gibson, which will be shared with academic advisors, Campus Health providers, and faculty (through class rosters). A preferred name is the name someone goes by in day-to-day life. For example, some people named "James" may actually go by "Jamie." A preferred pronoun is a pronoun one uses to best represent one's gender identity, for example: he, she, or they. Please note that preferred first name is used solely for Tulane's internal systems; external systems (such as home-town newspapers, official transcripts, enrollment verifications, etc.) will continue to use your legal first name. For reasons why, click here. Students who would like to indicate their preferred pronoun should also enter this information via Gibson Online. For more information and FAQ’s on the use of preferred first name and pronoun please visit the Registrar's website.

Entering Your Preferred Name and/or Pronoun

You can update your preferred name or pronoun at any time during the semester. Log into Gibson Online. Click on the "Student" tab at the top. Under Records, on the left side of the page, select the link "Update Preferred First Name and/or Preferred Pronoun."

Getting a New Splash Card

Students who would like to have a preferred first name on their Splash Card should first enter the information through Gibson Online and then visit the Splash Card Office in the LBC to receive a new card. You will receive one free Splash Card with an updated preferred first name if you turn in your old splash card during the same transaction.

Gender Changes on Official Records

To enter a change of sex, the registrar requires a written, signed statement from the student requesting a change in the student information system. Your ID number will not change.

Name Changes on Official Records

In order to change your name on official legal documents (and documents such as the Tulane Phonebook, class registration, attendance lists, Wavemail), the registrar requires either an official court document with the legal name change or a valid driver's license or state identification card with the new name displayed.

For Faculty and Staff:

Entering Your Preferred Name

You can update your preferred name at any time through the Gibson portal. This change can then be requested to be used on your Splash Card and Tulane's online directory. Take the following steps:
1. Log into Gibson.
2. Click on the Staff tab at the top.
3. Click "Employee Self-Service" under Service in the left hand menu.
4. Sign in again.
5. Click on "Tulane Employee Self Service."
6. Click on "Personal Information."
7. Under the top section, Basic Details, select Update on the right hand side.
8. The default setting is correct. Enter new information because of a real change to the current details (e.g. because of a change in marital status). Click Next.
9. Enter the Preferred First Name in the box with that label.
10. Click Next.
11. Continue to click Next until you are able to click Submit. The changes to your record will be displayed one final time for your review.
12. It generally takes 24 hours for your updated information to feed into databases across all campus systems.

How to Obtain a New Splash Card

After 24 hours, you can go to the Splash Card office on the first floor of the LBC and request to have a new Splash Card made that reflects your preferred name for free.

How to Request an Email Alias Change

If you would like your email alias to match your preferred name, please contact the TSNOC by sending an email to help@tulane.edu by using the following language:

Legally Changing Your Name in the State of Louisiana

To legally change your name so that all official university records, your driver's license, and other documents reflect your chosen name, the very first step is to file a petition with the Clerk of Court. In Louisiana, every name change is processed through the parish in which the petitioner resides. As a Tulane student, it is likely that you reside in Orleans Parish and the Clerk of Court is located on Loyola Avenue. With the proper identification and money (cash or money order) in hand, you can then go to the Clerk of Court Self-Help Desk at 421 Loyola Avenue (Room 401 on the 4th floor) to fill out a Name Change Petition. You do not need an attorney to complete this process. Take the following steps.

1. In order to have your name changed in Orleans Parish, you will need to be a resident in the state of Louisiana for at least six months and be 18 years of age or older. You must also intend to continue living in Louisiana.

2. If you meet these requirements, you will go to the Orleans Parish Courthouse at 421 Loyola Avenue, room 401. They are open Mondays and Wednesdays 10am-noon & 1-3pm and on Fridays 10am-noon. For changes in hours call 504-407-0000 and specify that you need the hours for the name change self-help desk.

3. Once at room 401 of the courthouse,

a. You will show your current identification (a primary legal document or two secondary legal documents). See below for a list of what qualifies as primary and secondary documents.

b. You will then pay a petition fee to process your request. As of February 2015, the petition fee is $503.50. They will only accept cash or a money order made out to the Clerk of Court. They will not accept a personal check or credit card. This is non-refundable. To check with the court for any updates on fees, call 504-407-0000.

4. You will then go to room 402, on the same floor, and receive a file and case number. After they conduct a background check (felons are not allowed to change names), they will waive your petition on to the district attorney of Orleans Parish and a judge for review.

5. This is usually the end of your petition process. However, at the time you present your completed name change form to the Clerk of Court ask the clerk if a hearing is necessary for you. Though it is unlikely, a judge can decide to hold a hearing to discuss your reason for a name change. Most judges will grant a name change, based on this paperwork and without a meeting, so long as they are convinced that the petitioner is not trying to evade debts or the police or commit fraud. If a hearing is necessary the clerk will provide you with a date and time that your hearing will take place. This hearing can take place in court or in the judge's chambers. (In rare cases, judges have required a petitioner to prove that they have undergone medical procedures that show an intention to live permanently in the gender associated with the name desired.) If a hearing with a judge is required and you would like an advocate to go with you, please contact the Office for Gender and Sexual Diversity at 504-314-2183.

6. Now you wait for your paperwork to be processed. Upon approval from the district attorney and a judge, the parish clerk will notify you that your certificate is ready for pick-up. The name change decree is the actual certificate that will allow you to change your name at any private or public institution. The final judgment will be recorded in the records of the parish and your new name will be your true and legal name.

7. When you go back to the same courthouse, 421 Loyola, room 402, to get certified copies of your official name change decree. It is imperative that you purchase certified copies of the final judgment to submit to your credit card companies, university administrators, government offices, etc. to get your name changed on your birth certificate, university documents, driver's license, credit cards, and other official documents. Each copy costs $3 as of February 2015.

8. Now you will submit a certified copy to the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, University Registrar, credit card companies, etc.

A. State of Louisiana Primary Documents Include:

Current state issued driver's license that displays a photograph which clearly identifies the applicant.

Current state issued picture identification that displays a photograph which clearly identifies the applicant.

Current U.S. military identification card that displays a photograph which clearly identifies the applicant.

Current U.S. issued or foreign issued passport

U.S. Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550, N-570 or N-578)

U.S. Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-578)

Students (high school or younger) - a current school yearbook or a current school identification document with a photograph which clearly identifies the applicant.

B. State of Louisiana Secondary Documents Include:

Current student picture identification card from a college or university when accompanied by a 100% fee paid receipt for the current semester. (COUNTS AS TWO DOCUMENTS)

A W-2 form issued within the last two years plus an original signed Social Security Card. The Social Security numbers must match. (COUNTS AS TWO DOCUMENTS).

Original adoption papers

Official certified deeds or title to property

Certificate of vehicle title

Insurance policy that must show name of the applicant (Health, Home, Life, and Auto).

Payroll stub (cannot be handwritten) showing the name and social security number of the applicant.

Current u.S. military dependent identification card that displays a photograph which clearly identifies the applicant.

Original DD-214 Military Discharge document which clearly identifies the applicant.

Voter's Registration application (certified true copy)

Changing Your Name on Your Birth Certificate

To change the name on your birth certificate, you will need to work with the Vital Records Department in the state in which you were born. If you were born in Louisiana, you must first follow the steps listed in the previous section to legally change your name. Once your name is legally changed through the Clerk of court, you can then petition to have the name changed on your birth certificate. Then, mail the following to the Vital Records Registry:
1. Certified copy of the Petition for Name Change (Obtained from Clerk of Court)
2. Certified copy of the Judgment from the proper Louisiana district court (Obtained from Clerk of Court)
3. Photocopy of the District Attorney's signed answer (Obtained from Clerk of Court)
4. Photocopy of your birth certificate
5. Photocopy of your valid driver's license
6. Check or money order for $27.50 (total cost of the amendment)
Vital Records Registry
Attn: Amendments Department
P.O. Box 60630
New Orleans, LA 70160
Once Vital Records receives the required documents and fees, a case manager will be assigned to review your request. If you have any questions, contact: Robin A. Lewis, Services Manager at the Vital Records Registry: (504) 593-5171.